SIMULATION OF PLANT-RESISTANCE IN A CELERY-LEAFMINER-PARASITOID MODEL

Mathematical models and computer simulations are useful for examining alternative control strategies to include in Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programs. A three-tropic-level model comprising the celery plant, Apium graveolens L., the leafminer Liriomyza trifolii [Diptera: Agromyzidae) and the parasitoid Digllyphus intermedius (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) was developed. Both antixenotic and antibiotic celery plant resistance were included along with the parasitoid, to examine their effects on leafminer larval populations. Better control of the leafminer was observed when these types of resistance were included in combination with the parasitoid, when compared to the parasitoid acting alone. However, the parasitoid acting alone seemed to be better than either of the two forms of resistance in the absence of the parasitoid. The use of models to study the interaction of plant resistance and biological control in IPM programs is emphasized.